Novak Djokovic protests mid-match at Australian Open: Here's why
What's the story
24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was not pleased during his second-round match against Jaime Faria at the 2025 Australian Open. The Serbian tennis star was miffed over a sudden change in lighting conditions at Rod Laver Arena. After a brilliant 29-shot rally in the second set, Djokovic held serve and leveled the score at 5-5. But his celebration was short-lived, thanks to an unexpected incident.
Lighting issue
Djokovic's demand for lights to be turned off
After his successful rally against Faria, Djokovic noticed the floodlights in Rod Laver Arena had been switched on. He expressed his concerns to the umpire about this sudden change and insisted he wouldn't return to the court until they were turned off. "We will wait for them to switch them off," Djokovic stated firmly, suggesting any changes should be made at the end of a set.
Umpire's action
Umpire responds to Djokovic's protest
The umpire, responding to Djokovic's protest, asked if he wanted the lights off. Upon his confirmation, she made a phone call to have them switched off. When the lights were finally turned off, a wave of applause swept through Rod Laver Arena from spectators who had been closely following this unusual incident.
Set loss
Djokovic loses second set amid lighting confusion
Despite the lighting issue being resolved, Djokovic lost the second set in a tiebreak, 7-4. The umpire humorously replied to another query about the lights saying, "Lights on or off? I don't know," with a smile. Soon after this exchange, rain started falling in Melbourne and the roof of Rod Laver Arena had to be closed. Players were asked to take a brief break due to these weather conditions.
Win
Djokovic attains these feats with win
The entire issue could not stop Djokovic to beat Faria. He defeated Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria in a hard-fought men's singles second-round match with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2. The victory took Djokovic one step closer to his possible 25th Grand Slam title. The Serb has now secured 150 Grand Slams after turning 30. He now also has the most Grand Slam singles appearances in the Open Era.